Method for weaving contoured thread connected dual wall inflatable fabric



Nov. 9, 1965 E. TOMAYKO 3,216,460

METHQD FOR WEAVING CONTOURED THREAD CONNECTED DUAL WALL INFLATABLE FABRIC Filed March 23, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVEN TOR F I61 -3 EDWARD TOMA YKO ATTORNEY Nov. 9, 1965 E. TOMAYKO 3,216,460

METHOD FOR WEAVING CONTOURED THREAD CONNECTED DUAL Filed March 23, 1964 INVENTOR. E DWA RD TOMA YKO ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofi lice 3,216,450 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 3,216,466 METHOD FOR WEAVING CGNTOURED THREAD CONNECTED DUAL WALL IN- FLATABLE FABRIC Edward Tomayko, Doylestown, Ohio, assignor to Goodyear Aerospace Corporation, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 353,795 4 Claims. (Ci. 139-20) This invention relates to a method for weaving contoured thread connected dual wall inflatable fabric, and more particularly to a method for weaving double spaced fabrics with extended drop yarns therebetween so that when the fabrics are moved apart after weaving, a desired contour therebetween is attained by the extended lengths of the drop yarns.

Thread-connected dual wall inflatable fabric is manufactured and sold by Goodyear Aerospace Corporation of Akron, Ohio, under the trademark Airmat registered in the US. Patent Oflice.

Thread-connected dual Wall inflatable fabric, hereinafter for simplicity called inflatable fabric, has been made with the threads, sometimes called drop yarns, of fine steel wire or of light but strong natural or synthetic fibers or filaments. Inflatable fabric of this type when inflated provides a high strength per unit weight ratio. It consists of an upper and lower Woven fabric connected by drop yarns of equal length for flat inflatable fabric or varying lengths for contoured inflatable fabric. At present, however, it is not possible to accurately and/ or automatically vary the length of the drop yarns to make two dimensional or complex contoured inflatable fabrics. Thus, using the plush or carpet looms of the art only flat inflatable fabric of approximately three inches thickness is possible, however, inflatable fabric can be made up to approximately six inches in thickness by including false picks to extend the drop yarns which picks are generally removed after the weaving has been completed.

Until the technique of weaving complex contoured inflatable fabric, as disclosed hereinafter, was developed, it was necessary to cut fabrics into strips and gores which were sewn together to produce complex shapes such as airplane tails and wings. This procedure was not only costly and time consuming, but also precluded, to any great extent any attempt to produce such shapes with any satisfactory degree of uniformity.

Also, it has been found that when fine wire having a diameter between about .0015 and about .005 inch is utilized to weave the fabric and for the drop yarns that when the wire drop yarns are extended they tend to become tangled and impossible to separate if they are not held in their extended positions. Since extending of drop yarns to weave contoured inflatable fabric is an extremely new art, the development of methods or apparatus to hold the drop yarns in their extended position to prevent tangling thereof has never been a problem and hence has never been solved. However, with the devloprnent of weaving contoured inflatable fabric the problem of holding the extended drop yarn in position must be solved.

Therefore, it is the general object of the invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difliculties of prior art practices by the provisions of a method to weave contoured inflatable fabric on a double fabric plush loom by extending the drop yarns to the desired length between the fabrics during the weaving.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of weaving contoured inflatable fabric on a double fabric plush loom which fabric contours are highly accurate and controllable to provide a precision inflatable fabric with a high strength to weight ratio.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of weaving contoured inflatable fabric on a double fabric plush loom wherein the fabrics are woven in essentially parallel relationship with drop yarns of variable lengths extending therebetween, and wherein the drop yarns are held in their extended position to prevent tangling thereof until the fabrics are completely woven and moved apart to the extended length of the drop yarns.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method to weave contoured inflatable fabric whereby any desired contour can be imparted between the fabric layers simply by variably extending the drop yarns between the fabrics and weaving the extended drop yarns securely into place to maintain the desired extension thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of weaving contoured inflatable fabric which is simple, highly accurate, extremely effective, and which is very low in cost.

The aforesaid objects of the invention and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds are achieved by providing a method to make deep piled contour inflatable fabric on a double fabric plush loom which includes the steps of Weaving in substantially parallel spaced relationship a top and bottom fabric of longitudinally extending warp yarn and transversely extending weft yarn, maintaining the woven fabrics in substantially the same spaced parallel relationship while moving them away from the weaving edge, weaving a plurality of drop yarns longitudinally into each fabric, crossing the drop yarns over from one fabric to the other and simultaneously extending the length of the drop yarns variably depending upon the desired contour between the fabrics, maintaining the drop yarns in their extended position to prevent tangling, and weaving the crossed over and extended drop yarn longitudinally into their respective fabrics to hold them in position.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of weaving double fabric on a plush type loom with means provided to extend the crossed over drop yarns;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic elevation illustrating a double fabric plush loom for weaving contoured inflatable fabric wherein the extended drop yarns are maintained in their extended position;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic plan View of a magnetic method to hold the extended drop yarns in position;

FIGURE 4 is a schematic side view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3 showing the magnetic method; and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic side elevation showing a central fabric method of holding the extended drop yarns in position.

For a better understanding of the method of the invention reference should be had to the drawings wherein FIG- URE 1 the numeral 1 indicated a group of six top heddle frames adapted to control a plurality of upper warp yarns 2 and 3. The numeral 4 represents generally a group of six heddle frames adapted to control a plurality of bottom Warp yarns 5 and 6. A pair of heddle frames, indicated by the numeral 7, provide control for aplurality of drop yarns 8 and 9. The invention contemplates that all the yarns be metallic of between about .0015 and about .005 inch in diameter to provide the desired strengthweight ratio. However, nylon, rayon, or other suitable yarns could be utilized.

The warp yarns 2 and 3 are separated by the heddle group 1 to provide the shed 10 wherein a weft yarn 11 may be passed by a suitable shuttle mechanism (not shown). Likewise, the warp yarns 5 and 6 are spread by the heddle group 4 to provide a shed 12 which receives a weft yarn 13 again passed by a suitable shuttle mechanism (not shown). In order to beat up the weft yarns 11 and 13, a suitable reed assembly 14 may be provided. The warp yarns 2 and 3, and and 6 are tensioned outwardly on a pair of gage angle frames 15 and 16 to allow the weft yarns l1 and 13 to be beaten up against the flush ends 17 and 18, respectively, of frames 15 and 16 to thereby form a top fabric layer 19 and a bottom fabric layer 20.

The drop yarns 8 and 9 are woven into the top and bottom fabric layers longitudinally and substantially parallel to the warp yarn. However, the drop yarns are crossed over from one fabric layer to the other between about every two to about twenty picks or passes of the weft yarns. Thus, in FIGURE 1, as illustrated, the drop yarns 8 and 9 have been crossed over by movement of the heddles 7 forming a cross over point 21. In order to provide the desired drop yarn extension to achieve a desired contoured relationship between the top and the bottom fabric layers, an extension rod 22 is operatively positioned behind the cross over point 21 between the drop yarns 8 and 9 and in front of the reed mechanism 14. The positioning of the rod 22 may be performed manually although other suitable mechanical structure might be utilized. Naturally, with a manual positioning technique the pick speed of the loom must be carefully controlled and is necessarily quite slow, with maximum emphasis on the precision of the drop yarn extensions. As schematically illustrated in FIGURE 1, the extension bar 22 is then moved horizontally forward between the gage angle frames 15 and 16 to a point indicated by the dotted lines and indentified by numeral 23. The bar 22 may then be held in the extended position by suitable means, such as those described hereinafter for FIGURES 2 through 5. The length that the drop yarns 8 and 9 are extended by the extension bar 22 is dependent upon the desired contour between the fabric layers 19 and 20. Note that previous extensions of other drop yarns already woven into the fabric are shown and indicated by numerals 24 through 27. As will be more fully described hereinafter, the extension bar 22 may be of various shape or various angle extending across the width of the fabric layers to make the extension of the drop yarns variable to provide the desired contour. Also, the bar 22 may remain between the woven fabrics until completion of all weaving to prevent tangling of the drop yarns as will be more fully explained hereinafter, or the bar 22 may be removed after the drop yarns 8 and 9 have been woven back into the fabrics after the extension thereof.

For a better understanding of the method of retaining the extended drop yarns reference should be had to FIG- URE 2 of the accompanying drawings wherein the numeral 1a indicates a double fabric loom having a plurality of upper warp yarns 2a and 3a controlled by a pair of heddle frames 4a and 5a. A pair of bottom warp yarns 6a and 7a are controlled by heddle frames 8a and 9a. A pair of heddle frames, 10a and 11a, provide control for a plurality of drop yarns 12a and 13a.

The warp yarns 2a and 3a are separated by the heddles 4a and 5a to provide a shed 14a wherein a weft yarn 15a may be passed by a suitable shuttle mechanism (not shown). Likewise, the warp yarns 6a and 7a are separated by the heddles 8a and 9a to provide a shed 16a which receives a weft yarn 17a passed by a suitable shuttle mechanism (not shown). In order to beat up the Weft yarns 15a and 17a, a suitable reed assembly 18a may be provided. The warp yarns 2a and 3a, and 6a and 7a are tensioned outwardly on a pair of gage angle frames 13a and 29a to allow the weft yarns 15a and 17a to be beaten up against the flush ends 21a and 22a, respectively, of frames 19a and a to thereby form a top fabric 23a and a bottom fabric 24a.

The drop yarns 12a and 13a are woven into the top and bottom fabrics 23a and 24a longitudinally and substantially parallel to the warp yarn. However, the drop yarns are crossed over from one fabric to the other between about every two to about every twenty picks or passes of the weft yarns. Thus, in FIGURE 2, as illustrated, the drop yarns 12a and 13a have been crossed over by the movement of the heddles 10a and 11a forming a cross over point 25a. In order to provide the desired drop yarn extension to achieve a desired contoured relationship between the top and bottom fabrics 23a and 24a, an extension mechanism, indicated generally by numeral 26, is operatively positioned behind the cross over point 25a between the drop yarns 12a and 13a and in front of the reed mechanism 18a. An extension bar 27a is operatively positioned in front of the extension mechanism 26a to provide the desired contoured extension to the drop yarns. The contour of the extension bar 27a may be predetermined to provide an air foil shape, a blunt rounded nose cone shape or any other desired configuration of contour between the top and bottom fabrics 23a and 24a with such determination provided by the length of the drop yarns between the fabrics. Thus, the extension mechanism 26a is adapted to move the extension bar 27a through a path indicated by the dotted lines 28a to a position adjacent the other extension bars on top of a supporting platform 29a. The platform 29a is normally a metal sheet slotted longitudinally to allow the passage of the drop yarns while they are extended. In order to hold the extension bars 27a in position on the platform 29a a plurality of contour needles 30a, operatively supported by a frame 31a, are provided. The needles 30a extend through slots in the frame 31a and are adapted to hook over the ends of the extended extension bars 27a to lock them in position, as illustrated. It is contemplated that the needles 30a will pass through the bottom fabric 24a and through slots or holes in the platform 29a between the longitudinal slots allowing passage of drop yarns in order to hook over and lock the extension bars 27a. It is further contemplated that the needles 30a will only remain in position until the next extension bar is inserted to provide the next extension of the drop yarns and that by simply holding the last extension bar in place the extension bars behind it willremain in position. However, if necessary, the needles could be inserted and left in position until the entire weaving operation is completed. When weaving is completed the fabrics may be moved apart simultaneously with the release of the needles retaining the drop yarns as the fabrics will move apart to the extended length of the drop yarns to provide the desired contour between the fabrics.

The fabric layers 23a and 24a are held in a take off mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral 32a, which is moved away from the weaving edges of the fabrics. in proportion to the pick by pick weaving thereof so as to maintain tension on the fabrics and provide a substantially parallel spaced relation of the fabrics to make the extension of the drop yarns possible. Of course, the movement of the take oif mechanism 32a away from the weaving edges is contemplated to be physically limited, with the woven cloth cut off and the mechanism 32a replaced to allow for another take off when the extension limit is reached. As shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings the platform 29:: is secured to the take off mechanism 32a so as to move therewith and maintain the drop yarns in the desired extended relation.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a top plan schematic view of another embodiment of the invention, wherein an extension mechanism 40a operatively positions an extension bar 41a by holding the ends thereof to achieve a bowed contoured relation. Sometimes because of the limited space between the crossed over drop yarns and the reed it may be necessary to insert the bar 41a in a substantially straight position and compress the ends to create the bowed effect as illustrated. A gage angle frame 42a, reed mechanism 43a, heddles, indicated generally by numeral 44a, and a take off mechanism 45a complete the elements of the loom in this embodiment. In, the em:

bodiment, as illustrated, an extension bar seat 46a is made from a magnetized material and is operatively carried by the take off mechanism 45a. Again, the mechanism 45a will maintain tension on the fabrics and move away from the weaving edge according to the pick by pick weaving thereof. The extension bars 41a are made from an easily moldable material which is magnetic attractive so that when the extension mechanism 40a provides the extension the bars 41a are attracted and held in position by the magnetic extension bar seat 46a, as clearly illustrated. In this manner the extended drop yarns are held in position until the weaving operation is completed when the bars 41a may be removed as the fabrics are moved apart upon inflation or by some other means to achieve the desired contours.

FIGURE 4 is a schematic elevation taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3 which further illustrates how the magnetic extension bar seat 46a holds the extension bars 41a in position to maintain the extension of the drop yarns, indicated generally by numeral 47a. It should be again noted that a support platform 48a is provided on which the extension bars 41a may rest. Such platform 48a is of course appropriately connected to the mechanism 45a for movement therewith.

FIGURE 5 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein an internal fabric layer composed only of warp yarns 50a and 51a are provided and controlled by heddles 52a and 53a to in effect weave the extended drop yarns, indicated generally by numeral 54a, into their extended position, as illustrated. In this embodiment an extension mechanism 55a operatively holds an extension rod 56a which is of the desired contour to achieve the proper extension of the drop yarns 54a. It should be noted that the extension rods 56a are, in eifect, woven into the central warp yarns 50a and 51a. Again, a central support platform 57a may be utilized, but generally this is not necessary since the warp yarns 50a and 51a perform the desired support function. The rest of the apparatus, including take off mechanism 58a and a rod or bar seat 59a, is similar to those illustrated in FIGURES 2 through 4.

Thus, it is seen that the objects of the invention have been achieved by providing a method to weave deep piled contoured inflatable fabric by variably extending the drop yarns between the top and bottom fabric layers during the weaving thereof to provide longitudinally or transversely tapered or contoured deep pile inflatable fabric. It should be understood that the yarn mentioned heretofore may be wire, nylon, rayon, or any other suitable material to provide the desired strength-weight ratio. Various embodiments of apparatus to achieve the drop yarn extension have been illustrated and described, as well as various embodiments to hold the extended drop yarns in position but it is to be understood that the method of drop yarn extension and retention to achieve deep piled contour inflatable fabric is the primary object of the invention, and that various other apparatus structures might be utilized to achieve the drop yarn extension and retention equally as Well as those presented herein. It is to be further understood that the drop yarn extension is made by crossing longitudinal-1y extending drop yarns from the top fabric to the bottom fabric or vice versa with the yarns being extended a desired length before being rewoven into their respective fabric layers. Thus, although the fabric layers are still woven in substantially parallel relationship to each other and at a uniform spacing throughout their length, the drop yarn extension provides desired contours or shapes to the fabrics when they may be made gas impervious and inflated, or moved apart in some other manner to provide the extension of the drop yarns. The retention of the drop yarns in their extended positions prevents entanglements.

While in accordance with the patent statutes one best known embodiment of the invention has been illustrated 6 and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, but that the inventive scope is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A method for weaving contoured inflatable fabric which includes the steps of weaving two fabrics in substantially parallel spaced relationship so as to define weaving edges, weaving drop yarns longitudinally into the fabrics, providing a layer of warp yarns substantially between and parallel to the fabrics, crossing the drop yarns over between the fabrics at a plurality of intervals on the longitudinal length of the fabrics, inserting an auxiliary weft between the fabrics and in between the crossed over drop yarns, extending the auxiliary weft and the drop yarns longitudinally relative to and between the weaving edges of the fabrics, weaving the extended drop yarns and the auxiliary weft into the layer of warp yarns to maintain the drop yarns in their extended position, and weaving the extended and crossed over dr-op yarns into their respective fabrics to secure them into position. 2. A method for weaving contoured inflatable fabric which includes the steps of Weaving two fabrics in spaced relationship, weaving drop yarns longitudinally into the fabrics, providing a support means substantially between and parallel to the fabrics, crossing the drop yarns over between the fabrics at a plurality of intervals on the fabrics, extending the drop yarns substantially along the support means relative to and between the fabrics after the cross over thereof, retaining the drop yarns on the support means to maintain the drop yarns in their extended positions, and weaving the extended and crossed over drop yarns into their respective fabrics to secure them into position. 3. A method for weaving contoured inflatable fabric which includes the steps of weaving two fabrics in spaced relationship, weaving drop yarns into the fabrics, crossing the drop yarns over between the fabrics at a plurality of intervals along the longitudinal length of the fabrics, extending the drop yarns relative to and between the fabrics after the cross over thereof by removable magnetic attractable means, attracting the magnetic attractable means to a magnetic means at the point of desired extension of the drop yarns to hold the drop yarns in the extended position, and weaving the extended and crossed over drop yarns into their respective fabrics to secure them into position. 4. A method for weaving contoured inflatable fabric on a double shuttle, double fabric loom which includes the steps of weaving two fabrics in substantially parallel spaced relationship so as to define weaving edges, weaving drop yarns longitudinally into the fabrics, crossing the drop yarns over between fabrics at a plurality of intervals on the longitudinal length of the fabrics, engaging the drop yarns with an engaging means substantially midway between the fabrics and moving the engaging means parallel and longitudinally relative to the weaving edges of the fabrics thereby extending the drop yarns variable pre-determined distances relative to the weaving edges and between the fabrics after the cross over thereof, retaining the extended drop yarns and the engaging means at their extended position, and weaving the extended, crossed over, and retained drop 7 8 yarns into'their respective fabrics to secure them 2,346,551 4/44 Brindle 13922 into position. 2,848,018 8/58 Neisler 1392O X 3,008,213 11/61 Foster et a1. 13941O References Cited by the Exammer FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 69,100 12/51 Netherlands. 2,082,890 6/37 Holmes 139 20 2,297,708 10/42 Kaufman 13921 DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A METHOD FOR WEAVING CONTOURED INFLATABLE FABRIC WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF WEAVING TWO FABRICS IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SPACED RELATIONSHIP SO AS TO DEFINE WEAVING EDGES, WEAVING DROP YARNS LONGITUDINALLY INTO THE FABRICS, PROVIDING A LAYER OF WRAP YARNS SUBSTANTIALLY BETWEEN AND PARALLEL TO THE FABRICS, CROSSING THE DROP YARNS OVER BETWEEN THE FABRICS AT A PLURALITY OF INTERVALS ON THE LONGITUDINAL LENGTH OF THE FABRICS, INSERTING AN AUXILIARY WEFT BETWEEN THE FABRICS AND IN BETWEEN THE CROSSED OVER DROP YARNS, 